By Bashir Bello
The Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria ,SMEDAN,Dr Charles Odii, says, its 2025 National Micro Small and Medium Enterprises ,MSME, GROW Nigerian Conference will drive innovation in the sector.
The Director-General said this in a statement in Abuja.
Odii said that the conference would ensure enterprise growth and policy reform across the country’s small business sector.
He said that the conference would serve as a rallying point for stakeholders to chart new pathways for strengthening the MSME ecosystem.
According to him, the event, scheduled to hold from Nov. 16 to Nov. 18 in Lagos, will support the review of the National MSME Policy, which expires this year.
“It will also provide fresh direction for the next five-year policy framework for the sector.
“The 2025 theme, GROW Nigerian: Building a Future of Innovation, Resilience and Prosperity, emphasises the agency’s commitment to helping entrepreneurs access finance, markets, skills and visibility.
“At this conference, we are building on our work to expand opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs”, he said.
Odii said that the conference would be a festival of ideas, innovation and enterprise that brings together government, the private sector, development partners and MSMEs to collaborate for measurable impact.
“Beyond discussions, participants will also access grants and tangible opportunities to help them grow”, he said.
Odii said that the three-day event would feature major policy dialogues, masterclasses, exhibitions and business networking sessions.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, will lead the opening ceremony.
“The opening session will also feature a keynote address by the Chairman of United Bank for Africa, Mr Tony Elumelu.
“The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will host a stakeholder meeting in honour of governors who have shown strong support for MSME growth in their states”, he said.
He said that the conference would also include a special session on national tax reforms to be led by the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
Odill said that there would be another session on export development by the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs Nonye Ayeni.
“The Women Summit, scheduled for Nov.18 and to be led by the Minister of Women Affairs, will focus on empowering women-owned businesses and linking them with funders and national programmes.
“A masterclass series will feature leading creative and business figures, including, and Tobi Moody, Country Director of the World Intellectual Property Organisation ,WIPO, in Nigeria.
“The conference will also host a panel on digital competitiveness, featuring Tosin Eniolorunda of Moniepoint, Idris Olorunimbe of the Nigerian Communications Commission, and Ife Durosinmi-Etti of Herconomy.
“Running concurrently throughout the event, the GROW Nigerian Fair will showcase promising enterprises in food, fashion, manufacturing, technology and entertainment”, Odii said.
The SMEDAN director-general said that there would be a pitch competition offering N20 million in grants to the winners.
The News Agency of Nigeria ,NAN, reports that the conference is being organised with support from the German Government, the European Union and the Swiss Government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ,GIZ.
Corporate partners such as Moniepoint, UBA, Bank of Industry, NEXIM Bank, Wema Bank, Fidelity Bank, MTN and the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University are also co-sponsors
